This invention relates to an electronic book that includes a plurality of pages and the means to display animation sequences and play audible sounds in relation to the story being told on the plurality of pages.
Various forms of electronic books have been provided in the past. Such as:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,132 to Huffman discloses a method for encoding a textual book for use with an electronic book. U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,594 to Froesler discloses a device that receives cards that contain a unique text permanently stored therein and displays the text on an LCD screen. U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,324 to Tan specifically discloses an electronic book that permits reception of varying input cards such that different books may be viewed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,485 to Morgan discloses an electronic book that can receive and transmit information over wireless mediums. The book, providing displays opposite each other, like facing pages, allows the user to enter information via touch sensitive screens. The electronic book also includes memory capacity to store multiple books or publications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,888 to Lebby discloses an electronic book, which in one embodiment includes a plurality of pages that provide flexible screens simulating the pages of a book. The book further includes the means to receive downloads and display other books and information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,510 to Ukita discloses an apparatus, which can display information or images stored on an optical disc. The display may further be manipulated with a pen to enter information using a displayed keyboard. The Ukita apparatus attempts to make electronic books thinner by stacking the keyboard within the LCD display.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,606 to Sasaki discloses an electronic newspaper and electronic publishing medium. The electronic newspaper can be placed in the medium in order to download the current news, which may be displayed and searched. The downloaded information may also include books, advertisements, magazines or periodicals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,068 to Richard discloses a messaging service, which will allow an apparatus to receive the newspaper, edit the same, and convert the text to speech. The speech is thereafter sent to an audible output signal for the user to listen rather than read the paper.
These above-mentioned prior art references however, fail to provide a book that combines pictures and text with animation and sound. These known electronic books provide means for replacing paper pages with electronic screens and in some cases they replace the need for visual display by converting the visual text into audible sounds.
It is well known to provide electronic books that include numerous combinations of switches and buttons that are connected to a subassembly, which when pressed triggers a variety of electronic sounds. Toy books and children books have been provided that include electronic sounds that may automatically play when a page is turned or require a user to press a button to trigger the playback of pre-recorded electronic sounds. These electronic books include switches embedded in the pages, placed on the side of each page, or all placed on the side of the cover. Talking books have also been provided that trigger pre-programmed electronic voices, which may read the story so the child may follow along with the text on the pages or may supplement the story by providing sound effects. In addition, electronic books have been provided that include an array of buttons that when pressed in different sequences tell different stories.
Nevertheless, while these prior electronic books have provided a multitude of buttons to trigger electronic sounds and sound effects, the prior art is devoid of an electronic book which combines these electronic sounds and sound effects with preprogrammed electronic animation in order to supplement the story, characters or information graphically or textually depicted on the pages. Rather than replacing the pages, with electronic screens, there is a need to provide electronic animation and sound to supplement the story depicted on the pages. As such a need exists to provide a book that combines pictures and text with animation and sound, which gives the perception that the book is brought to life. Not only is the reader capable of enjoying the pictures and text on a page, but the reader is also provided with visual animation and audible sound.
In accordance with the present invention an electronic picture book is provided that includes a plurality of pages, a subassembly that includes an LCD display and a speaker to provide the user with a variety of pictures, words, animation sequences and sounds. The plurality of pages provides the user with a general description of a story, which may include various drawings, pictures, and/or words in relation to a story. The pages further direct the user to press a specific button, from a plurality of buttons. Once pressed, the buttons trigger electronics to display various animation sequences and emit electronic sounds via the LCD screen and speaker. The animation sequence and sounds, relating to the story being told on the plurality of pages, brings the story to life.
In one embodiment, the electronic picture book includes the same number of pages as buttons; thereby eliminating the need to keep track of which page has been turned. For example, a three-page book would only require three buttons. This also allows the books to be made inexpensively, such as for children books.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, multiple sets of pages may be associated to a single set of buttons. To indicate to the electronics which animation sequences and sounds should be played in relation when the buttons are pressed, a light sensor may be provided on the subassembly. The plurality of pages would include a bottom set of pages having an aperture defined over the light sensor, wherein a top set of pages would not include the aperture. When the top pages are covering the light sensor, the electronics would know to play animation sequences associated to the top set: of pages, however, when the top pages are turned, the apertures defined in the bottom set of pages would allow light into the light sensor. The electronics receiving a signal from the light sensor would reassign the buttons to, when pressed, play animation sequences associated to the bottom set of pages.
Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.